To Have and to Hold
by Lizzosaurus
Summary: What is a loving marriage when the yoke is unequal, and the grip around your shoulders is slowly tightening? Lietpol, Commonwealth era - Union of Lublin, 1569


From a historical lens, this is the point where things start to fall apart. Rated T for some crude language/implications.

See end notes for TEDtalk; POV is from Lithuania's chamber attendants (who perform the same services as ladies in waiting)

* * *

By the time we found Lithuania and dragged him out of the wine cellar, up the stairs, down the corridor to the doorway of the grand hall, the ballroom had been waiting in anticipation for nearly an hour's time.

The royal partners, flushed with the victory of territory bounding anew, were to appear before the guests in top form. This was to be a moment of happiness, of celebration.

Master Laurinaitis thought otherwise.

He could hardly stand up, flushed not with victory but with strong wine. We helped him upright while Poland raked his scathing gaze over him.

"Dare I even ask what the hell you're wearing?"

Lithuania lifted one end of his heavy, finely embroidered sash and frowned back.

"My clothes."

"Those aren't the clothes I arranged for you to wear."

"I know."

"How much wine have you drank? You reek of it."

After a heavy, glowered pause shared between them, Poland turned his attention to the chamber attendants who'd initially found him, snarling this time.

"How much _wine_ has he _drank_?"

"A half and four wineskins, sir."

"God's wounds…"

Poland pressed the heels of his palms into his forehead for a few moments. Then he raised his head, a new fury kindling in his eyes.

"I want him in his chambers, and I want the chambers _locked_. He is not to come out until sunrise tomorrow morning."

"Yessir."

Master Laurinaitis looked up sharply, giving an indignant noise of disbelief.

"I'm the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, not your prisoner."

"Then start behaving like it, you stupid halfwit. The treaty was signed to protect _your_ eastern borders from the enemies _you_ amassed. You should be grateful that such a high favor was granted by your loving _husband_."

The last word came out in a hiss, and Lithuania drew himself up against it.

"This is more a gift for you, _beloved_, just like it always is. You took my land."

"You need me to protect _our_ land, accept the consequences."

"How mighty do you think yourself? Shouldn't everyone like to know how many times I've plowed this pious young prince in bed?"

Lithuania turned around to face the gathering audience of servants, indicating his crude words with an equally crude gesture.

We expected Poland to strike him then, or perhaps yell himself hoarse, but instead he gave a thin, pressed smile and clasped his hands together.

He ignored Lithuania entirely and spoke only to us, voice level and quiet.

"It is clear to me that Master Laurinaitis is unwell and needs rest to clear his mind of such idiocy. If I see him again tonight I will punish all of you."

-:-

Lithuania continued to order wineskins to his chambers for the remainder of the evening - three in all - consoling himself with the comfortable stupor strong drink provided.

We gave it to him only because he was so distraught and vengeful that we were afraid to do anything else - frightened to see such a calm and dignified man given over so entirely to his distress.

And eventually the distress turned into despair.

We saw the damage done when we reopened the chamber doors shortly before dawn, hoping to retire him to bed for the night and finding his cupboards overturned, fine clothes and parchments strewn about the floor. He was standing in the middle of it all - holding one of the bedposts and swaying back and forth in some peculiar, senseless dance known only to himself.

When the door latch was locked behind us once more we could hear him crying through the rich mahogany and felt quite sorry leaving him there, for as much as we feared Poland's threats no one among us had seen him drunk before, let alone lost to tears.

The next morning Poland marched into Lithuania's rooms before any of us had even stirred him, throwing open first the bed curtains and then the heavy window drapes. Our master was sitting with his back to us but given he was still fully dressed it wasnt difficult to presume he'd never settled himself into bed at all. Concerned that he was having another spell, we tried to enter after Poland.

He had other plans.

In a pointed movement, he roughly forced the wash basin into his husband's lap and glared silently at us until we withdrew from the chambers and closed the doors.

Amidst the furious yelling and eventually the shattering, banging, we never heard Lithuania make another sound.

* * *

Lithuania is a bit ooc because he's drunk. lol.

The Union of Lublin in 1569 marked the true unification of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into one overarching commonwealth, and while the benefits were clear - secure borders and political standing in Europe - an overwhelming number of Lithuanians in my brief research conclude that the disadvantages were greater. Instead of ruling in a partnership, the commonwealth was overseen by one elected monarch who carried out both duties, and because Polish nobility maintained higher status as Catholics, this decision basically barred any Lithuanian noble from taking the throne. In addition, the Duchy lost about half of its territory to The Crown. The Union of Lublin was the turning point for the commonwealth, bringing new, modern power to both kingdoms but torquing opportunity for Lithuania's noble cabinet unless they adopted Polish customs. To me its the beginning of a very visible loss of both status and sense of self for Lithuania.

Lithuania and Poland share a lot of _bad_ moments in history that are overlooked/ignored and it starts in their golden years, so imagine how much worse it gets for these poor guys. I don't think it should be ignored for the sake of making lietpol look like this beautiful, candy sweet perfect ship because it takes away from what makes them so strong in their modern years and those are My Thoughts so thanks if you read this far!


End file.
